Sugar, Salt and Spice
by Saphira Veera
Summary: ...and all its bitterness. Naruto and Sakura at its flavourful. A NaruSaku drabble series. /Updated every week\ Credits to the awesome wonderful LadyGT for the cover image. CH3 UP
1. Chapter 1

**I'd forgotten about flames when I wrote down my first NaruSaku fic a few months ago. Oh well. Haters gonna hate. **

**Anyway, I cannot get this pairing out of my head, I swear. I decided to write a drabble series. I'm going to write one each week, but no promises, okay? However, I am intent to get this out of my system, because honestly, my writing instincts been bugging and begging me to write one. I love NaruSaku to bits. **

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_Stay, stay, stay_

She was pretty sure shit hit the fan when she threw the head-sized boulder over his head, barely scraping over his golden spikes and her heart thumping furiously because the throw was half-hearted and as furious as she was, she never wanted to hurt him.

"Leave me alone!" she yelled at him nevertheless, and he took the point, his back rigid with shock and he held his hands in the air.

"Sakura-chan," he said softly. "It's -"

"I don't care, I don't want to know!" said girl cried out again. "How could you even - I was - I - I was scared!"

"Sakura," the boy murmured, his gaze softening and he stepped forward once more, dangerously.

Images ran through her head; him breathing his last breath, him speared through by some goddamn monster, him bleeding and wounded and several gore thoughts that left the girl empty, afraid, alone and furious.

She grabbed another boulder and flung it towards his way and took off before she could judge her actions.

Indeed, that very day, Haruno Sakura thought she might very well lose the man she didn't deserve to love.

But out of the corner of her eye, he just stood there and stayed.

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**Kay, I know this chapter was really short. Too short. Let me know though if you like it, and I'll post another chapter immediately. I promise. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Like I promised. Thank you for the follows, favs, and the review, Pedney Weasly. **

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Sakura Haruno was speechless.

She knew she had a temper, and that temper did she try to control it, but sometimes she just lashes out and is the cause of many friendships failing.

Perhaps that was the reason why she treasured her friends as they come. Naruto was right. Friends had been the ones to drive her forward, to tell her to never give up - the ones who can really understand her.

Ino was an example.

Sakura and Ino had a rough start on their friendship, but usually the ones that actually last have at least one. Her forehead was also an example. Sakura would never admit it, but if she hadn't had a generous forehead, Ino wouldn't be _the _friend - and Sakura wouldn't be Sakura. As much as she hated her childhood, without the hardships, without the constant mocks and jeers at her - without the tears, she wouldn't become the person she is now.

What would she be, she wondered.

"Ojou-san. Ojou-san!"

Sakura startled and blinked away from her thoughts. Teuchi, the man who served the infamous Ichiraku ramen stared patiently at her.

"Finally. Dreaming, weren't you? What would you be having today?" he asked her with an amused smile.

"A-Ano," she started and swiveled her head to see Naruto sitting quietly next to her, smiling that smile of his, causing Sakura's heartstrings to tug.

"I-I'll have whatever he's having, please," she said weakly, trying to calm her nerves. She stared back at her folded hands on her lap.

She was indeed speechless.

When had Naruto made her feel like this? When had his smile rendered her helpless, to the point of her legs feeling jelly-fied? When had she begun to hide her smiles when she saw him? When had her dreams begun to fill of his eyes, his face? When had she begun to miss him so much it hurt when he was in one of his solo missions? When...had the hole - the hole she had been feeling since Sasuke left - filled?

"Right! Here's your ramen!"

But most of all...why had he stayed?

"Well, I reckon it tastes okay, but I haven't done a sweet ramen before. Let alone an anmitsu. But I hope it taste good!"

"Thanks, old man! Come on, Sakura-chan, dig in!" exclaimed Naruto, already picking up his chopsticks.

Sakura looked up from her lap and stared confusedly at the bowl of ramen in which, unmistakingly, was accompanied by a glass of anmitsu, one of her favourite food. She looked up inquiringly at Naruto.

He grinned back at her and rubbed the back of his head, his typical move that Sakura had come to love. "Well, since you were having what I was having, I figured why not? I know anmitsu is your favourite. My ramen's sweet and spicy though, but I know you don't like spicy things, so I made sure of that."

She sat next to him who was sitting in front of a promised bowl of ramen; in his cerulean eyes patience is swimming, staring confusedly at Sakura's unresponsive face.

He shrugged. "Anyway, you wanted to talk?" he inquired, breaking apart his chopsticks.

She looked at the bowl of ramen, at her glass of anmitsu, at her calloused hands, at him, at his eyes, his hands, his acknowledgement and attention and the patience and sincerity that had overtaken his urge to devour the ramen before him, even though he had just finished a mission.

Would the Sakura from the Other Side - the Sakura that had led a proper, happy life; a life without bullying, a life without tears, have fallen for the kind of person she herself would have never anticipated?

Would she?

It took one moment.

She could have knocked herself down, kick herself to the moon, show everyone how large her forehead exactly was - but she understood that she had to make it clear, once and for all.

They may be words, but they weren't chains. Sakura wanted to make sure of that.

"Naruto... Do stay.

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**Yay! I was pretty pleased with this one, since it started out really really short before, even shorter than the first chapter. I hoped you liked it. I'll post another next week, but you knoooow...the more reviews, the faster the chapter gets delivered. You know how one review can make someone so happy? So deliriously happy? It's like a drug. ... Only safer. And not life-reducing or threatening.**

**See you.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Like I promised. *singsong voice* And if you'll be good little girls and boys, you'll hit the fave, follow and review! Then Mummy will give you another very, very soon. Tomorrow if you are such kind little darlings. **

**Enjoy today's cookie.**

**EDIT: Reposted, because apparently, this fic suddenly went down the avalanche of many updates on Saturday, and gone unnoticed. It's already Sunday night here though. **

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"Hey, Ugly."

Whack.

"Ow! I just got out of hospital!"

"And I will do that until I run out of chakra to heal you."

"Look what I'm reading!"

"How to Know When Two People Love Each Other? Why-Why would you read that?"

"Ino gave it to me."

"Ino? Hmm, you and Ino-pig sure meet each other a lot. I wonder that means!"

"Hmm, you and Dickless sure sleep at each other's a lot. I wonder that means!"

"Sh-Shut up! His pig sty aka apartment just burned down last week! I'm trying to be generous here. Anyway, he's sleeping on the floor!"

"And was it cold?"

"What, the floor? Well, yeah it was hard and a bit cold, but he was war- Ack, of-of course it was cold! What are you talking about, Sai, never slept on a floor before?!"

"Well, no, never with Dickless. Warm, you were going to say?"

"Who said - I - You - YOU'LL BE THE FIRST TO FEEL THE WARMTH BENEATH THE ROCKS! SHANNAROOO!"

"Was it hot, Sai?"

"What? No it's cold in the hospital."

"No, I mean -"

"Oh below the rocks?"

"Um, yeah."

"Well, Dickless, if I take into account your feelings about Ugly, I would say that... Yeah. Being below her, everything will feel warmer."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Uh, what was that word again? Hot. It was pink. If you'd like to write that down. Oh and if you meet her, do change them to a slightly more shocking one."

"S-"

"You know the material - um, what was it called again - sheer fabric, was it? I believe the common name for it is nylon. There's a nylon underwear shop just across from I-"

"Ichiraku Ramen."

"Yes. Why, been there before I see, Dickless?"

"Wha - No! I mean, I pass it all the time I go eat ramen."

"..."

"You know, that'll make for a fabulous birthday gift for Ugly."

"Yeah, and next time you see me, I'll be as flat as the nylon I'd bought for her."

"Haha! Wow, that was a good joke now, Dickless. Who'd ever want to wear you?!"

"..."

"... Hahaha! I'll call you Nylon from now on then!"

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**Another reminder; a fave/a follow/a review will be donations for another cookie chapter! ;) Love you little darlings to bits. Good night.**


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